The present invention relates to a patient-support apparatus, and particularly, to a thermal support apparatus of the type having an isolation chamber with a thermally controlled environment. More particularly, the present invention relates to hinged panels, such as side guard panels, access door panels, and control panels, for the thermal support apparatus.
Thermal support devices, such as infant warmers and incubators, having an isolation chamber and various systems that maintain the isolation chamber at a controlled temperature and humidity to facilitate the development of a premature infant are known. Infant thermal support devices conventionally include a patient-support surface for supporting the infant in the isolation chamber and a set of side guard panels arranged around the patient-support surface. Many thermal support devices have a canopy over the patient-support surface. The canopy cooperates with the set of side guard panels to enclose the isolation chamber.
Conventionally, thermal support devices have access openings formed in one or more of the side panels and access door panels that normally close the access openings. When the access door panels are opened, a caregiver has access to the infant through the access openings. In such thermal support devices it is desirable that the access door panels have mechanisms that allow a caregiver with sterilized hands to open the access door panels without the use of his or her hands so that his or her hands remain sterilized.
The side guard panels of some thermal support devices are formed to include small windows with pass-through components in the windows. The pass-through components allow wires and tubes to pass through the side guard panels into the isolation chamber. It is desirable for the pass-through components to tightly seal against the side panels to which they are mounted to minimize leaks and to ensure that the pass-through components remain secure in the window formed in the side panel. It is also desirable that the wires and tubes pass through the pass-through components without too large of an opening being created in the pass-through component so that heat and air leaks are minimized.
The side guard panels of many thermal support devices can be moved from a raised position extending above the patient-support surface to a lowered position away from the patient-support surface to provide the caregiver with increased access to the patient. In many such thermal support devices, hinge mechanisms are provided for pivotably coupling the side panels to some other structure of the thermal support device and separate latching mechanisms are provided for locking the side guard panels in a raised position. It is desirable for the latching mechanisms to be easy to operate.
Infant thermal support devices having various systems that maintain the isolation chamber at a controlled temperature and humidity typically include a control panel that caregivers use to enter environmental control parameters, such as desired temperature and humidity levels. It is desirable for the control panels to be adjustable so that the caregiver can move the control panel to a desired position. For example, it may be desirable to adjust the angle of the control panel to reduce glare on a read-out screen of the control panel.
According to the present invention, a patient-support apparatus is provided. The patient-support apparatus includes a base, a patient support carried by the base, and at least one side guard panel pivotably connected to the patient support for movement between first and second positions. The patient-support apparatus also includes a combined hinge and latch assembly for pivotably connecting the side guard panel to the patient support. The combined hinge and latch assembly includes a mount fixedly connected to the patient support, a hinge member fixedly connected to the side guard panel and rotatably connected to the mount for pivoting movement about an axis, and a stop mechanism coupled to the mount. The hinge member is movable along the axis between a locking position in which the stop mechanism engages the hinge member to prevent relative rotation between the hinge member and the mount and a releasing position in which the stop mechanism is disengaged from the hinge member to allow relative rotation between the hinge member and the mount.
The stop mechanism includes a lug formed in the mount. The hinge member is formed to include a lug-receiving space that receives the lug when the hinge member is in the locking position. When the hinge member is moved along the axis to the releasing position, the lug is positioned to lie outside the lug-receiving space so that the hinge member can pivot about the axis. Thus, the side guard panel can be unlocked for movement between the first and second positions by grabbing the side guard panel with one hand, moving the side guard panel so that the hinge member attached thereto is moved axially away from the mount, and then pivoting the side guard panel about the axis.
The patient support of the patient-support apparatus includes a platform tub formed to include an interior region and a platform cover that is positioned to lie above the interior region. The combined hinge and latch assembly includes a second member that is also coupled to the mount for pivoting movement about the axis. The second member includes a latch arm that extends over a portion of the platform cover to secure the platform cover on the platform tub. The mount is formed to include a second lug and the second member is formed to include a second lug-receiving space. The second member is movable along the axis between a locking position in which the second lug is received in the second lug-receiving space to lock the latch arm in the position extending over the portion of the platform cover and a releasing position in which the second lug is positioned to lie outside the second lug-receiving space to allow the second member to be pivoted to a position in which the latch arm is moved away from the platform cover.
Also according to the present invention, a patient-support apparatus includes a base and a patient support carried above the base and having a patient-support surface. The patient-support apparatus includes a side guard panel coupled to the patient support adjacent to the patient-support surface. The side guard panel is formed to include an access port and a flexible sealing member is coupled to the side guard panel adjacent to the access port. The patient-support apparatus further includes an access door assembly including a mounting block, a door panel, and a lever with a locking member.
The mounting block is coupled to the side guard panel. The door panel has a first end pivotably coupled to the mounting block and a second end spaced apart from the first end. The door panel is movable between a closed position in which the door panel engages the sealing member and closes the access port and an opened position in which the door panel is spaced apart from the sealing member so that the access port is opened. The lever has a first end pivotably coupled to the mounting block and a second end space apart from the first end. The lever is movable between a locking position in which the locking member engages the door panel to lock the door panel in the closed position and a releasing position in which the locking member is spaced apart from the door panel to unlock the door panel. The door panel has a portion that engages the lever to move the lever from the locking position to the releasing position when the second end of the door panel is moved toward the side guard panel.
The door panel extends from the first pivot axis beyond the mounting block in a first direction and the lever extends from the second pivot axis beyond the mounting block in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. The door panel includes a hinge plate that couples to the mounting block and an access port cover coupled to the hinge plate. The lever includes a lever plate that couples to the mounting block and a handle coupled to the lever plate. The hinge plate of the door panel overlaps the lever plate of the lever when the door panel is in the closed position so that the access port cover of the door panel and the handle of the lever are positioned to lie on opposite sides of the mounting block. The hinge plate of the door panel is formed to include an aperture. The locking member extends through the aperture when the door panel is moved between the opened and closed positions.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a patient-support assembly includes a patient support and a side guard panel coupled to the patient support. The side guard panel has a first surface and a second surface spaced-apart from the first surface. The side guard panel also includes an edge defining a window in the side guard panel. The side guard panel being manufactured within a tolerance range so as to have a thickness that is between a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness. The patient-support apparatus includes a grommet received in the window of the side guard panel. The grommet includes a rim that engages the edge defining the window and a plurality of flexible flaps coupled to the rim and arranged to substantially fill the window.
The grommet also includes a first lip extending from the rim and arranged to engage the first surface of the side guard panel and a second lip extending from the rim and arranged to engage the second surface of the side guard panel. The second lip has a first portion adjacent to the rim and a second portion spaced apart from the rim and thicker than the first portion. The second lip is sufficiently flexible to sealingly engage the second surface of any side guard panel having a thickness within the tolerance range between the maximum and minimum thicknesses. The side guard panel is made out of acrylic having a thickness tolerance range of about +0.03 to about -0.06 inches.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a patient-support apparatus includes a base and a patient support carried above the base. The patient support includes a platform tub and a platform cover. The platform tub includes a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall to define an air flow channel therebetween. The platform cover is mounted to the platform tub to cover the air flow channel and the platform cover is formed to include a plurality of air vent slots. The patient-support apparatus includes an air flow guide having an elongated vent rail appended to the platform cover and extending into the air flow channel. The patient-support apparatus further includes an elongated vent panel pivotably coupled to the platform cover. The vent rail is formed to include a plurality of vent channels separated by abutment surfaces. The vent channels are in fluid communication with respective air vent slots. The vent panel is pivotable between a first position abutting the abutment surfaces and a second position moved away from the vent rail to provide increased access to the vent channels.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a patient-support apparatus includes a base, a patient support carried above the base, an isolation chamber on the patient support, and a system for monitoring at least one environmental condition in the isolation chamber. The patient-support apparatus includes a user interface panel having buttons for entering system inputs and displays for observing system outputs. The user interface panel is rotatively mounted to the patient support through a rotatable member for pivoting movement about a vertical axis through about 180.degree. so as to be accessible from opposite sides of the patient support. In addition, a hinge connects the user interface panel to the rotatable member to permit angling of the user interface panel with respect to the patient support. The hinge is a resistive hinge configured to resist pivoting of the user interface panel in response to normal actuating forces applied to the buttons of the user interface panel and configured to allow pivoting of the user interface panel in response to forces applied to the user interface panel that exceed the normal actuating forces.
Thus, the patient-support apparatus is provided with a number of hinged panels. The patient-support apparatus includes a side guard panel coupled to a patient support by a combined hinge and latch assembly. The patient-support apparatus also includes a door panel coupled for pivoting movement to a mounting block attached to the side guard panel and a lever coupled to the mounting block for movement to lock and unlock the door panel. The patient-support apparatus includes a grommet having a plurality of flaps that are flexibly coupled to a rim of the grommet. A vent panel is coupled to a platform cover of the patient support for pivoting movement relative to a vent rail that is formed to include vent channels. In addition, the patient-support apparatus includes a user interface panel coupled to the patient support by a resistive hinge.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.